


Cold Heart

by An_ElvenBeauty



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragon Age Fusion, Alternate Universe - Skating, Big Gay Love Story, Canon Gay Relationship, Default Hawke (Dragon Age), Fenhawke Week, Gay Male Character, Gay Panic, Happy Anders (Dragon Age), Hawke & Varric Tethras Friendship, Ice Skating, Isabela being Isabela (Dragon Age), Kirkwall (Dragon Age), Love, M/M, Multi, Parental Aveline Vallen, Romance, Sweet Merrill (Dragon Age), Varric Tethras is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-21 16:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21077621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/An_ElvenBeauty/pseuds/An_ElvenBeauty
Summary: Yes, skating competitions made him anxious.Why? Wasnt it obvious? He was up against the BEST skaters worldwide and he was just... Garret Hawke. Goofy and easily embarrassed. Also a big fan of Pepsi.Though the ice and the lights and the cheering made it all worth it. His friends, well, they were his clear inspiration. He would one day become the best figure skater in history. Well...Possibly.If only a certain someone would go easy on him. Unlucky for Garret, this 'someone' happened to be very talented, very reserved and had a very, VERY cold heart.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy! This is my first post on this site and I'm excited to share my Dragon Age au I've been planning for months! :) (sorry for any mistakes!♡♡) 
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcomed!

**Chapter One**

  
"Isabelaaaaa- can I not have my coffee in peace?"  
  
Garrett's groan had turned heads of everyone inside the small cafe, and he went red. Isabela laughed obnoxiously, bringing the white mug filled with espresso to her lips, taking a long sip.  
  
"Of course you can't, Hawkey. We have three days until the competition. Nothing is peaceful anymore~" her voice was more of a purr, winking teasingly to the man beside her. Garret rolled his eyes, though smiled as he sipped from his mug once again. He opened his mouth to speak but a smooth voice beat him to it.  
  
"You make it sound sinister Isabela," Varric cooed, smiling briskly to the girl, his fingers typing away on his laptop.  
  
"It _ is _ sinister thank you. Sinister to his career if Hawkey here doesn't step up his game this competition. Second place is starting to get old Garrett," Isabela shook her head, sighing while her eyes went off elsewhere. Garret felt that pang of guilt and he grumbled. Why was he so soft...  
  
"I'm sorry okay? I'll do my best. I promise," He smiled, hoping it would be enough to convince Isabela he wasn't _ that _ much of a loser. It took a moment before a smile etched it's way onto the girls face, setting her mug down onto their table.  
  
"I know you will lovely~" 

Ah yes, Isabela was quite fond of nicknames. Often made people think they were a couple. Which was definitely _ not _ the case. Garret didn't exactly swing that way. This weekend was his chance to redeem himself after getting third place _ last _ month at the Emporium nationals. Disgraceful, he knew. Isabela made _ sure _he knew. She was harsh but a good coach and Garret was thankful for her. 

“I think you'll do wonderfully Gare!” Merrill’s positive and gleeful voice broke the silence, clapping once. Garret returned a grin to her, joyful at the praise.

“Why thank you Merrill~ means _ a lot,” _He flicked his gaze to Isabela beside him, narrowing his eyes. At the end of the table, a blonde grumbled, irritatedly tossing garbage aside. 

“Would you two shut the hell up? This was supposed to be a nice get together for breakfast. Now you're making me want to stab my eardrums with a fork,” Anders glared before returning to buttering his muffin. 

Garret raised an eyebrow, his hand habitually running across the scraggly beard on his chin. 

“Sorry Anders.”

“I'm talking about my skater and giving him tips _ Anders. _So if I'm angering the precious baby why don't you take that fork and shove it up your-”

“Isabela, we're in public. Stop that sentence right there,” Aveline cut the girl off before it got out of hand, reading from the book she had brought with her. 

Chuckling, Garret played with the spoon he had used to stir his coffee, twirling it around a napkin beside his cup. His mind wandered. Isabela smiled sweetly and leaned back in the booth they sat in. 

“So Hawke. Be at the rink at two so we can practice please. I want to work on your double axle and Biellmann spin,” Isabela began to pack up her things, setting a twenty dollar bill onto the table. “Keep the change loves~”

Garret tilted his head but nodded, putting the money aside to use it for tips. 

“I'll be there. Bye,” he waved to her while the girl left the shop, disappearing behind a corner outside. 

He turned to look back at the group when he heard a sigh from Aveline. She turned her gaze to look at him in return.

“One thing I think you should work on the most is learning how to _ not _ get distracted. You are prone to it, Garrett,” she mumbled, setting an empty mug to the side. Laughing nervously, Garret shrugged. 

"Oops? There's always so much to look at I guess," he responded, shrugging once. It was noon now, so he had time to go home, shower, eat before heading to the arena. 

Garret pretty much knew his routine inside and out, though Isabela was quite keen on drilling it into his brain as much as she could before the competition day. He didn't blame her… especially after last month. He had been a _ disaster. _ Though honestly, what else was new? Garret Hawke however, took great pride in his disastrous lifestyle! He was _ unique. _

"-ett. Earth to Garret!" 

Eh? Oh.

"Huh? Sorry I was, uh… fantasizing." His cheeks had almost instantly turned red and Varric who had been attempting to get his attention, chuckled. 

"Evidently. I was saying you should get going. Isabela will have your dick on her wall if you don't arrive on time," Varric hummed, smirking. "Wouldn't that be an interesting conversation starter?" 

"Tch!!- quiet!" Garret was red again. 

His friends were _ so _weird. 

"Besides, I have two hours until I meet her there. I have time," Garret leaned back in his seat defiantly and gave a huff, sipping the last mouthful of coffee. 

"Very true. Though we _ all _know you, Hawke. You'll go home, eat a bunch, maybe shower then end up falling asleep. You'll wake up at six. And your dick will be gone."

"Stop talking about my-! Agh… nevermind. I'm going."

Varric withheld a snicker and Merrill alongside him, though she was more giggly at the bickering, not the actual concept _ of _their bickering. 

Garret stood from his seat and grabbed the bag that rested against the table leg, smiling happily. 

"See you guys later!" 

Both Varric, Aveline and Merrill waved while Anders made no move. Typical. Though Garret knew he cared~

"Have fun Hawkey~"

Oh he'd try. Competitions always stressed him out. Why wouldn't they? The whole _ world _watched them on television and well, Garret was pretty well known- sort of. Not top tier but still up there where some people would recognize him walking down the street at times. He'd been losing his popularity streak lately though… 

At least his friends had stuff in common with him. Merrill was a skater as well and so was Aveline. Merrill was quite popular and was _ really _ good. He met her through a competition a few years back and she beat him. Quite badly. Though she was a great sport and they had coffee together afterwards. Aveline skated too but she almost never spoke about it. Garret met her through Merrill. She seemed to view skating more as a hobby. Varric didn't skate but he had been Garret's friend for years. So his support was always present. Isabela he met almost four years ago, around the same time as Merrill. It was at a competition when Garret _ sucked _at skating (thanks to his current coach at the time) and got eleventh or twelfth place every time. Isabela offered him a contract and well, he took it on. And boy he was glad he did. Now they were inseparable friends and he did much better in competitions! Even got first place a few times! 

The happy thoughts flooded his mind as Garret walked down the snow-covered sidewalk beside a very empty road. He was also trying to decide what to eat. It'd probably end up being one of two choices. Kraft Dinner or Mr. Noodles. His stomach growled at the thought. 

Good thing Isabela wasn't around. She'd _ kill _him for having such an awful meal for dinner. He couldn't help it! It was so good… He could still skate with a few extra calories. 

  
  


༻☬༺

"Garret! Concentrate!" 

Garret groaned and allowed himself to circle around the rink after making a sloppy axel jump. It was hard! Though he knew he had to get this right before the competition day. Or he'd be screwed. 

"I know… sorry," he called back to an irritated Isabela. The girl sighed, shaking her hand in response.

"Its okay, lovely. Try it again and we can take a break."

_ Yay~ _

Garret needed it. He was getting hungry- even after having a Mr. Noodles meal back at home only an hour ago- and his legs needed a rest. He could also use a soda. If Isabela let him. He wanted a Pepsi. Yes, he liked Pepsi better than Coke. 

Garret circled the rink once more before he steadied himself to position the jump. His mind was focused, concentrated… he wanted that Pepsi! Approaching the middle of the rink, Garret tilted himself a little and jumped, spinning his body three times before landing and gliding backwards. Yes! A perfect triple axel! He hoped-

"Good Garret! That was better!" Isabela clapped her hands with a giggle. Garret felt very proud in that moment. Even confident. 

_ I'm going to nail this competition~ _

"Thank you! May I have a pepsi?" Garret grinned almost _ too _kindly. What? He needed to suck up to her. Isabela snickered and shook her head in reply.

_ Aw… _

"After practice. That'll be your motivation," she mused, taping Garret's nose with a pen in which he grinned at. 

"Aww… fine. It's going to take so long though," he pushed back against the rinks wall and amused himself by zig zagging on the ice backwards. Isabela smirked, slipping the pen behind her ear.

"Then I suppose you better get moving!"

  
  


༻☬༺

_ Two hours _was not fair! Garret was exhausted by the time Isabela dismissed him from the ice. He let out a grumble while stepping off the rink, moving to sit himself on the benches not far from it. 

"I can't feel my feet!" He exclaimed, quite over dramatically, which Isabela noticed and rolled her eyes. 

"Aw, poor baby. How will you ever survive?" She tossed him the pepsi. 

Garret instantly seemed to regain all his energy, opening the can to take a sip. Such a rare treat. He didn't drink soda often. He at least knew _ that _much caffeine was bad. 

"Thanks~"

Isabela hummed and gave a nod before she seated herself at Garret's side. She pulled her laptop out while Garret removed his skates, peeking over to watch her screen. Isabela pulled up a tab titled 'Hinterlands Cup.' Ah, his competition. 

"Whatcha doin?" Garret pondered, slipping his boot over his heel. 

"We're going to see your competitors."

"Oh!"

…

_ OH. _

"Ehhh…- okay… hah," he couldn't help but chuckle nervously which drew an amused giggle from Isabela. 

"Don't _ worry _Hawkey~ you'll wanna know who you're up against. Just to at least know if you have a chance," she mused, doing a few clicks until it arrived on the desired page. The list of competitors. 

"I guess… Hey! It's me!" 

Typed in bolded font there was his name and a picture of him underneath. He pursed his lips and hummed shortly.

"Should've trimmed my beard for that picture…"

"Haha, quiet~"

A few slots below his own there was Merrill. She was also competing this event. Isabela continued to slowly scroll through the page, every so often looking up skaters who were unfamiliar to her. 

Everybody seemed pretty fair game it seemed, other than a couple who were a little nerve wracking… though he'd just try his best. His attention returned when he heard Isabela grunt. 

"Ah, fuck… _ seriously _?" 

"Oh no- what..?" 

Isabela huffed and moved the laptop for Garret to see what she was grimacing at. Though it didn't clear much up for him. It was just another competitor…? 

"Uh…-"

"Do you not know who he is? Garret, you need to do your research. Especially on competition. This is your career you're talking about," Isabela said before she shrugged. "Oh well, nothing we can do other than make the best of it, hm?~ He'll be your biggest threat however. Top ranking in his league. Better put on your big guns, Gare bear~" 

Well _ that _didn't sound too good… 

Taking a nervous gulp of his Pepsi, Garret looked back at the computer screen, rereading the name almost religiously. Intense olive green eyes stared back at him. _ This _ man could ruin his chances of winning… and he'd get second again. Or third. Or _ worse _… Garret made a pathetically nervous whimper- Isabela laughing in the process- and he glanced over the name one more time.

**Fenris Tevinter. **


	2. Chapter 2

Garret was absolutely exhausted. Today was such a busy day and now he was currently sitting in an airport section, waiting for their plane to allow passengers on. Why did it take so long?   


Isabela was next to him and there was a water bottle in her hand. Though Garret knew it was  _ not  _ water in there… he didn't say anything though because he didn't want to be kicked from the airport. His mother, Leandra and his two younger siblings; Carver and Bethany were across from him. They always came to his competitions. Support, ya know? He appreciated it a lot. Even if Carver didn't genuinely seem too interested.

  


It was around noon now, and the competition was on Sunday. It was Friday currently. Most competitors liked to head down early, to get a feel of the arena and also to have that extra prep time. 

  


Garret was eating a bag of Cheetos. Isabela didn't quite like the idea but it was better than buying a $10 airport salad. 

  


Last night, Garret  _ did  _ do his research as Isabela had brought up. She had made him anxious about the fact that Fenris was competing this round too. Garret didn't get too much information on the man, only the repeated fact that he was  _ really  _ good. It didn't help with his anxiety. Thinking about it made him stuff a few more Cheetos into his mouth. 

  


"Gare bear, I can almost  _ feel  _ you stressing. Relax, okay? We're going to be fine," Isabela murmured from beside him. Her words were a touch slurred which confirmed Garret's suspicion of her 'water.' "We've practiced almost every day for three weeks. You're going to do great. Even if you don't get first." 

  


Wow, she was surprisingly being  _ very  _ nice. Garret almost felt emotionally moved until…

  


"But you  _ should. _ If you don't, don't expect a plane ticket home~"

  


There it was. 

  


"Isabelaaaa…-"

  


"Haha! I'm just kidding lovely~ Get a grip." 

  


It was then that the airport employees announced they could get onto the plane and Garret instantly stood, pins and needles wracking through his legs. He gripped his bags with one hand and a few of his mothers in the other one. 

  


A good thing about this competition was that he knew most of the other competitors. He had competed with them before. Zeveran was going to be there, he was a good skater though Garret was proud to say he had beat him every time… Merrill was of course going to be there. She was meeting him tomorrow at the rink. Aveline will be there too, competing as well. There were more, but Garret forgot. He knew almost everybody who was going to be at the Hinterlands cup this year. 

  


It took a hideously long time to get onto the plane and Garret was starting to feel like they'd miss the competition because of it. But, after managing to get situated into their seats and bags put into the over-bins, Garret was finally able to relax. Isabela was happily seated at his left and he got the window seat~ 

  


"Honestly, I'm excited to see Fenris. I haven't personally watched him skate in YEARS! I'm sure he's fantastic---er!" Isabela began to talk and Garret felt that familiar dread in his chest. He definitely stood no chance against Fenris. Oh well… he hoped he'd at least get second. Or third… since Merrill would be there too. And Aveline… 

  


Things weren't looking too good for him…

  


"Hah, yeah… exciting."

  


"Aww, Hawkey~ don't worry. Even if you don't do good this round, you still have other competitions to redeem yourself in before the end of the season!" Isabela patted his arm and Garret nodded once while the plane began to take off. He looked out the window, watching the buildings grow small. 

  


Maybe he'd sleep. That'd make the time go quicker. Then they could check into their motel, take a look at the rink and maybe even meet some of the other competitors if they were there. 

  


_ What if Fenris is there?  _

  


It brought back his anxiety pretty quickly at the thought and Garret let his head fall against the window. It's not like he could  _ avoid _ it. Fenris was bound to be around at some point. If he was as good as people say, he definitely took things seriously. Why wouldn't he be there? 

  


There wasn't much time to ponder however, since Garret had fallen asleep before he even knew it. 

  
  


༻☬༺

  


"Garret, get up you lazy bones~ we're here!"

  


A  _ very  _ unattractive snort was the first noise to leave Garret while he snapped awake. This obviously made Isabela laughed and his tired eyes watched her struggle to grab their luggage from the top compartment. 

  


Garret yawned. So they were here… he snuck a peak outside and hummed pleasantly. Quite pretty. There was snow covering the ground and pine trees were almost everywhere… 

  


"Hawke! Help me!" 

  


Isabela was now frustrated. Oh man… Garret scooted out from his seat and moved to assist her, getting her bags down first before retrieving his own. His mother and siblings were already off the plane and waiting in the sectional. 

  


"How long is the drive to the motel?" He asked, hoping and  _ praying  _ it wasn't long. He and Isabela went in single file with other passengers to exit the plane. 

  


"I think around fifteen minutes..? Maybe twenty. I dunno." 

  


Ugh. At least it wasn't an hour. Plus, the motel was close to the rink, only around a fifteen minute walk. There  _ was  _ a hotel right near it, but hotels were pricey. He was already pretty broke. 

  


"Hgn… alright."

  


Bag checks and security were a pain in the  _ ass. _ This was why Garret despised airports. He just wanted out. So by the time they had gotten outside, he was pretty grumpy. And it was cold out. That didn't help. Yet it smelled like pine, so… a little better. 

  


" _ Taxi!~"  _

  


Garret loved Isabela. She was a great friend. But sometimes she needed to tone it down. How was she not tired? Yet again, she may still be tipsy… 

A taxi did stop for them at her summon though, so he had to give her credit for that. 

  


All their bags  _ just  _ fit into the trunk of the small van. Thankfully. Or Carver would need to go without his luggage. 

  


Garret almost laughed at his own thoughts. Though he needed to stop that in public… laughing for no reason whatsoever. People will start to think he's crazy. 

  


Garret's mother was currently sitting in the passenger's seat of the taxi, rambling about how proud she was of Garret. It always made him feel so giddy… but this time it made him even more fearful. He had some high expectations here it seemed… 

  


"Hey Gare," Bethany looked over to him and Garret grinned. His sister hadn't spoken much during the trip. He assumed because she was tired. "Is there any coffee shops near the motel?" 

  


"I mean… I'm sure there is…"

  


_ I hope so…  _

  


Garret had a hard time functioning without his coffee or anything with caffeine. Bethany was already on her phone, attempting to get service in order to search up any nearby coffee shops. While she occupied herself, Garret let his eyes watch out the window while they drove. 

  


The place truly was nice. Icy lakes and bridges, lots and lots of pine… like an evergreen wonderland. 

  


"AHA! There is!" Bethany scared the  _ shit  _ out of him. "It's called Kirkwall coffee! It's like, ten minutes from the motel!"

  


So there was something. Hopefully it was  _ good  _ coffee. 

  


"Nice searching Beth." 

  


She looked quite proud of herself. In the back, Carver was out like a light. He looked so peaceful sleeping yet there was drool at the corner of his lips. 

  


Did  _ he  _ drool in his sleep?? 

  


Nobody was ever around Garret when he slept so nobody would know. Hm… a mystery. For now anyways. 

Garret was very happy to see their hotel pull up after the car ride. His back was sore and his eyes felt heavy. Time for a nap, some supper then off to the rink. 

  


"Gare bear, take your mother's bags with yours. I'll take mine and Bethany's~" Isabela cooed, basically throwing herself from the car after paying the driver. Garret made no complaints. He just wanted to get inside and get settled. While most people liked traveling, Garret  _ hated  _ it. Too much work and stress…

  


The motel looked… okay. A little run down and definitely not breathtaking. But it had beds, a shower and food. That's all he needed.

  


Leandra had gone in already to check them in- which Garret was thankful for- and he got to work gathering their bags. 

"Thanks for waking me, asshole." Carver stepped out from the taxi and grumbled, pushing past Garret to grab his single bag. Garret had to withhold snickering. He didn't want to start any arguments. Too tiring. 

  


"Oops?"

  


Garret had thanked the taxi driver again before he entered the motel at Isabela's side, carrying several bags. Good thing his own weren't  _ too  _ heavy but his mothers… she definitely over packed. Speaking of, Leandra walked up to them and set a key in Isabela's hand. 

  


"There's your room, kids. Carver, Bethany and mine is just down the hall from yours," she sounded very pleased. That was good at least. 

  


Oh well, Garret couldn't be  _ too  _ critical of their arrangements. It was a motel after all. He shouldn't expect anything fancy, not like the hotel that was right near the rink. 

  


"Thanks mom," he smiled and followed Isabela's lead towards the elevator. A grimy elevator, just to be clear. Almost looked unstable… 

"This thing looks like it could break," he murmured, stepping in quite hesitant when squeaky doors opened. Isabela didn't seem to have much of a problem. 

"We'll be fine. Besides, you picked the motel, don't complain." She was right. "I think it'll be fun~ having the entire 'road trip' experience, huh? Sketchy motel, sketchy motel  _ food _ . Everything." Isabela was smirking by now, knowing this would make Garret squirm. 

  


"Ehh… gross."

  


Isabela laughed. Garret smiled. This may not be so bad after all… he'd have his friends. Isabela, Merrill, Zeveran… everyone. Even Varric and Anders said they may fly in with Merrill. He'd see if that was true at the rink tomorrow. He hoped they'd come. He could use the extra support. 

  


The elevator doors opened upon the third floor and on came the  _ long  _ walk down a creepy looking hallway. 

  


Ah yes… and so the fun begins. 

  


༻☬༺

  


Garret found he had never been so anxious than in this moment. Walking with Isabela to the arena. So many things were crashing into his brain, all at once, which didn't help. He knew he was overthinking it. He had been in several competitions before, though this one just felt much more… intense. He was up against some difficult people. This wasn't even completion day yet he was stressing!

  


"Oh my  _ GOD  _ it's huge! Garret this is going to be fantastic~ we'd better make the most of it," Isabela was completely gawking at the size of the arena. Garret had to admit… it was big. Bigger than any back home. Sort of intimidatingly big. 

  


"Hah, yeah. We'll have to explore n' stuff…" 

  


"I brought your skates too, so you can try out the ice~ that way you can get used to it before we begin practice. And yes, we're practicing." 

  


"Ugh. Alright." Garret was more so joking, though he didn't really feel like practicing. He was still tired, even if he got a small nap in. 

  


The arena doors were large and made purely of glass and they were heavy to open. Garret was beefed up though, so it was nothing~ Isabela however? He helped her. He wasn't mean~ not all the time at least. 

Inside was even more breathtaking than the outside. It looked more like a fancy mansion than an ice skating arena. Ah, there was also a food court. Nice. 

  


Garret was very pleased with that.

  


"Come on Gare bear~ let's see if anyones in the rink," Isabela was already dragging him though so he had no time to object if he  _ was  _ to. 

  


It was a long hallway leading to the change rooms, showers and finally the rink. Garret could already hear a few people inside and it made his heart pound harder. Hopefully he knew whoever was inside. 

The door made a loud creak when it was opened and instantly cold, icy chilled air hit his face. So familiar and pleasant. Even if Garret didn't like the cold there was something different about an ice skating rinks chill that made it better. 

  


"So it  _ is  _ true! The one and only Garret Hawke is competing with  _ me!"  _

  


Garret recognized that voice anywhere and his worries had instantly subsided. Zeveran. A smile spread across Garret's lips and he waved, maybe a little  _ too  _ excitedly. He couldn't help it. He hadn't seen Zeveran in months! The only reason they were able to keep contact was because of competitions. And through text but that was never the same as  _ real  _ contact. They lived too far from each other. 

  


"Hey Zev!"

  


The mans blonde hair was always so beautifully kept. Zeveran was walking towards them, a pleasant smile on his face. 

  


"Hello Hawkey~ a great pleasure to see your wonderful face again," he mused, instantly wrapping Garret in a hug. Garret didn't object. Zeveran was such a charmer… always had been. He greeted Isabela with a much more passionate hug and Garret was disturbed knowing why. 

  


Let's just say in past competitions together Zeveran and Isabela would often… sneak away with each other.

  


Their hug and small talk now gave Garret the opportunity to examine the large arena and the people in it. Some he didn't recognize. There weren't  _ too  _ many people here. There was Aveline though! 

  


He left Isabela and Zeveran to greet her in which she pleasantly smiled in return. He knew Aveline did this as more a hobby, though she still enjoyed it greatly and took it seriously enough. 

  


"You excited Gare?" She mused. She also had her skates on and there was some snow gathered upon the blade. She must've been on the ice already. 

  


"Yeah, but really nervous," he chuckled a little, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. She only nodded. This was why he liked Aveline. She didn't go on and on about it. 

  


"I figured. The rink is nice. Big and open… may have to alter the routine a little to cover more ground but eh, shouldn't be too hard," she moved towards the door leading onto the ice. She looked back at Garret. "Wanna skate with me?"

  


Garret did. He wanted to skate now more than ever. His friends were here. Things were going to be okay. 

  


And there was no sign of Fenris. Not yet at least. 

  


"Yes, yes I do!" 

  


Garret, Aveline and Zeveran spent almost the next two hours skating- close to the arena's closing time- and Garret's anxiety was washing away. 

  


_ Everything will be fine. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is up :D sorry about the small wait, I'm in university so my schedule is a little iffy ^^ I'll have updates out whenever possible!♡


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Garret finally meets Fenris in person though it goes downhill quite fast...

It was  _ much  _ too early for Garret's liking. He was one who definitely valued sleep and waking up at 7am on a Saturday was  _ disgraceful. _ He blamed the raging nerves that swelled in his belly like a wildfire. The competition was tomorrow and he was physically ready- he knew his choreography and everything inside and out, but mentally? No. He was not ready at all. 

Currently he was tossing and turning in his bed, trying- yet failing- to go back to sleep. Isabela was in the second bed, still clocked out. She had originally wanted him up by 9am to begin their last prep day. 

It was going to be a  _ long _ day…

A long, tiring and anxiety filled day. 

He had finally given up. He was not falling back asleep, it was certain. Garret grumbled before he grabbed his phone that had been charging on the table beside the bed. 

He figured social media wasn't good right now. There'd be a lot of buzz about the competition for those big ice skating fans. Garret knew it'd only make him more anxious. Though he was just so curious… 

Just as he thought, almost every other post was about the competition. There was a  _ lot  _ about Fenris too… though he did see a few regarding himself. 

Garret finally decided to get up. He needed to go grab something to eat before his stomach growls woke Isabela. Lord only knows what would happen to him if he woke Isabela… so he was as quiet as possible while getting out of bed, slipping shoes on and sneaking out from the room. 

Success!

Now, down to the lobby's cafe to try and find something for breakfast. He had forgotten about the ridiculously long trek from his room to the elevator though and was beginning to regret his decision of leaving. Starving until 9am and dealing with a sleepy, pissed off Isabela seemed more worth it than this. 

Though he eventually did make it and stepped inside, pressing the lobby floor button. This elevator scared the shit out of him… he swore he was going to get stuck. 

_ That  _ was a great thought the entire way down. 

Garret was very glad to leave the confinement of the  _ death trap  _ and enter within the quiet, empty lobby. There was still the desk lady however, a different one than earlier and the cafe was open. Good. Now to find something that sounded edible. 

Muffins, bagels, cereal bars… eh. 

He  _ really  _ wanted pancakes right now. And eggs with bacon. Shit. What was that place Bethany mentioned again? Kirk something? Oh well, she had said it was about fifteen minutes from here by foot. 

That was his final decision before he left the warmth of the motel and into the freezing morning air outside. 

Maybe this was a bad idea… patience was a good thing, Garret. A very good thing. Didn't mean he  _ had  _ it. 

The roads were pretty much empty as well, only a few cars driving by in which Garret assumed to be going to work. The sun had barely made an appearance over the buildings in the small town they were in but there was enough light to see where he was going. It was a pretty light too. Like golden hour but in the early cracks of dawn. The snow was crunching under his feet while he walked, misty clouds escaping his lips as he breathed. Like smoke from a dragon.

That amused him. A lot. 

The walk felt like hours and by the time he reached Kirkwall coffee, he could barely feel his toes. Well, at least now he could get a hot drink and something to eat. Though there seemed to be  _ one  _ minor issue when he spotted a white sign upon the door… 

Closed. 

_ Well fuck me, I guess. _

Garret was honestly annoyed. It was almost 7am and they weren't open? He walked all this way for nothing. He must look like an actual psychopath out in the snow in only pajamas in front of a closed coffee shop. Things just weren't working out today so far… 

He sighed, watching the cloud of mist leave his mouth and begin to evaporate into the air. As it cleared, Garret could see the arena just over the small hill and behind some shops. Huh… there was a food court there. He saw it yesterday… 

Garret was off again. He was determined. He wanted a coffee and something to eat. He doubted the food court would have pancakes, but whatever would suffice. 

At least this was a shorter walk, only around five minutes from Kirkwall coffee. He was utterly glad to see the arena doors open when he pulled on them, stepping inside. Warm and cozy~

It was dead though. He was the only one here besides some employees at the food court or janitors. 

Garret's eyes had spotted a Starbucks almost immediately. Thank god… he was surprised the Starbucks worker didn't jump by how fast Garret walked over, scanning the menu religiously.. he'd just get his typical. 

"You're Garret Hawke, correct?" The man behind the counter pondered, a kind smile on his face. His nametag said 'Nathaniel.' Garret smiled shyly and waved. 

"Heh, yeah… nice to meet you! Um," he went back to the menu. He honestly wasn't a fan of attention on himself. "I'll just have a grande espresso. Oh! With one of those cookies too I guess."

Nathaniel nodded with a polite smile and bagged the cookie, setting it on the counter. He was then off to work making his drink. Yes… Garret got an espresso. He needed the caffeine. 

"I'm excited to see the competition tomorrow. It's gonna be real good, I can tell," Nathaniel began to talk again. Ugh… Garret didn't want to be rude. Nathaniel seemed sweet but he  _ really  _ didn't want to talk about the competition. Though he nodded, to be polite. 

"Yeah! A lot of really good skaters. It'll be… fun," he forced a chuckle, taking out the owed amount when his drink was set before him. Nathan nodded, the smile not leaving his lips. It was almost too kind. Garret wanted to leave now. But he didn't want to go outside yet. It was way too cold. 

"Thanks, have a good day," Garret said quickly, speeding off with his items. He didn't really know  _ where  _ he was going but he just wanted to be alone to eat and chill before having to head back. He pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. 7:30am. He still had quite a while until Isabela would be up. 

Garret wandered for quite some time, looking for a place to sit and be alone. Though, he hadn't explored this place at all other than what he and Isabela saw yesterday. So before he knew it, Garret was lost. Today was going great. 

He swore he has been roaming for almost half an hour now- which was probably correct- but he was glad to find himself in that familiar area when he saw the change rooms and showers. He wasn't going to eat in there… that'd be  _ very  _ awkward if someone came in. 

Garret was walking by, utterly close to giving up and just making the walk back to the motel, but he heard something when walking past the rink. Was somebody here? Practicing?  _ This  _ early? He knew he probably shouldn't go in if someone  _ was  _ practicing… but now he was curious. Maybe it was Merrill? She did say she was coming today. With possibly Anders and Varric. That made his heart swell with so much excitement that he pushed the rink doors open without thinking about it first. 

He was already inside. And yes, there was definitely somebody on the ice… and a deep, gruff voice talking to  _ said _ person. He guessed their coach. It couldn't be Merrill then, her coach was female. 

Garret found himself almost tiptoeing towards the rink, quite nervous for some reason. It didn't help when something- or someone- sped by on the ice right near him, causing Garret to almost scream.

Thank  _ god  _ he didn't… 

His blue eyes locked upon the figure and he could barely move. White hair and brown skin, moving at an impressive speed across the ice. Garret's anxiety spiked. 

It was Fenris. 

He recognized that white hair anywhere. From all the pictures he saw. The man truly looked like an angel on ice…- 

Why was he practicing so early? 

Garret truly stunned himself sometimes with how dumb he could be. Not everybody was like  _ him.  _ He supposed some people enjoyed mornings and getting up early. He had a hard time grasping this though. Fenris was actually here. He knew the man was  _ going  _ to be here but for some reason Garret's mind didn't process the fact that he was actually going to  _ see  _ him… 

"Can I help you?"

The sudden voice nearly made Garret drop his espresso and he grunted, turning towards the man. Oh- it was Danarius. Fenris' coach. He recognized that scruffy grey beard. 

"O-Oh… no! Sorry, I uh- just came for a coffee and heard somebody on the ice… I thought maybe it was one of my friends," he quickly said, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips. Danarius didn't look impressed. 

"I see. Well, it's only us here right now. You're another competitor, I assume?" 

He sounded amused now…  _ that  _ hurt. He was being mocked by one of the most famous coaches to one of the most famous skaters… Garret wished the floor would swallow him up. 

"Uh… yeah. Garret Hawke," he replied curtly, taking a nervous sip of his espresso and looked away from the older man. Specifically back to the ice where Fenris was. He seemed to be practicing a jump. Garret didn't think much more practice was needed though… from what he saw the man had perfected it. 

"Hm." 

Okay, so, Danarius was scary. Though he was a very well known coach so Garret had respect for him. Fenris was who he is today because of  _ this  _ man beside him… 

"Fenris! That was quite a sloppy jump there. Do it again," Danarius kept scaring the shit out of Garret with his silence then sudden yelling. Garret witnessed Fenris withhold a grimace. Hah… so it seemed even the most talented skaters were irritated by their coaches nagging. He almost chuckled. 

Garret was still struggling to comprehend this situation. He was actually in a room with Fenris. The man he has been trying to  _ avoid  _ for as long as possible. 

His eyes remained on the skater and observed Fenris attempt the jump again. The landing looked good to  _ him _ .. really good. Better than what Garret could do. He expected that though. Garret suddenly felt his skin crawl and for a moment he had no idea why until he realized that Fenris was looking  _ straight _ at him… 

Oh shit… He must look like an absolute weirdo- he was in pajamas for crying out loud. 

Garret was relieved however when Fenris seemed to look away as quick as he stared, averting his attention back to his choreography. Garret needed to go… he was feeling very uneasy and self conscious at this moment. 

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Danarius! Uh..- I look forward to seeing Fenris' routine tomorrow! Tell him I said good luck-" 

Garret was out the door by the time he finished that statement, leaving a bewildered Danarius behind him. 

Screw it. He was eating at the motel. 

  
  


༻☬༺

Garret hadn't told Isabela of the little incident this morning. He knew she would probably make a big deal of it. So he kept quiet and it had worked. She didn't suspect a thing. 

They were walking side by side now in the direction of the rink. Isabela was rambling about something to do with going to a bar nearby when the competition was over. Garret was partially listening. He was simply  _ very  _ excited to get to the rink. Merrill should be here by now and if not, then very soon. With the possibility of Anders and Varric accompanying her! He felt giddy. It was so exciting to have all his friends with him while he competed. It almost completely withered his anxiety.

_ Almost. _

The two entered the arena once again and were automatically greeted with the sounds of skate blades hitting ice and the chit chat of several people. Garret found himself speeding to the door of the rink, opening it with a mighty force…

" _ GARRET!!" _

He was instantly tackled by a much smaller frame then himself and Garret grinned widely. 

"Hi Merrill! I'm sure as hell glad to see you… the past day and- not even a half- has been  _ hectic,"  _ he mused, watching while the girl pulled off of him. "Did Anders and Varric make it?" 

"Yep! Varric is over there talking to Zeveran and some other skaters. Anders went to get coffee or something," she shrugged, a smile on her tattooed face. For a girl so sweet and innocent, somebody would least expect her to get a face tattoo, but here she was. Garret loved it though, it looked so magical. Garret just loved Merrill, and Isabela, and Varric and everyone else. He loved his friends. 

Isabela had already wandered off to greet Zeveran and Varric. Aveline was with them too. Isabela must've said something promiscuous to Zeveran because Aveline smacked her across the head. 

"Come on Hawke!" Merrill was now leading him off by the wrist and Garret happily followed her. He looked around. He felt much more comfortable here. 

Wait a minute… 

Danarius was still here? That means Fenris was too. They were  _ still  _ here… after being here two hours ago when Garret ran into them. Who knew how long they were there  _ before  _ Garret arrived too.

Hardcore shit…

Garret could never. He'd collapse from exhaustion. Fenris must have some good stamina. 

Merrill must have been rambling while Garret was spaced out because when he turned back to her, she was looking at him expectantly. He grunted.

"Uh… sorry, pardon?" 

Merrill giggled softly before sighing and shaking her head in a teasing manner. 

_ " _ I  _ said _ : have you met Fenris yet?" She pondered while they approached the edge of the rink. Merrill already had skates on so Garret sat down on the bleachers to put on his own. 

"Ehh.. well-" he paused. Isabela was there. He couldn't tell the truth about this morning. "No. I haven't. Why? Is he nice?" Garret technically wasn't completely lying. He hadn't  _ officially  _ met Fenris. He only encountered him. From a distance. Barely enough to notice anything about him other than his white hair. 

"Tch. Nice is definitely stretching it."

That was  _ not  _ Merrill's voice. Garret knew who it was and he looked up from tying his skates with a grin. 

"Hey Anders! I'm really glad you all made it," Garret exclaimed. He was feeling emotional… this was such an amazing thing. All his friends with him while he competed. He didn't think he could be happier… 

But huh? Was Fenris not nice? 

"And what do you mean by 'stretching it'?" Garret wondered, eyeing the blonde curiously. Anders sipped his coffee and grumbled. 

"Hey. And stretching it because Fenris  _ isn't  _ nice. He's actually quite a prick. I was just standing in line, waiting for my coffee and bam. He comes up and pushes past me. Impatient bastard," Anders sits down with quite the dramatic  _ thump.  _ Garret blinked. 

"Fenris was nice to me. He was skating when I arrived and I went to talk to him. I mean, he seemed a little… odd? Like, awkward odd? But not  _ Garret  _ odd… yet not mean either," Merrill interjected. Garret blinked again.

What was happening? Why was he being insulted all of a sudden??

"Well, then he's two-faced," Anders huffed. 

"Maybe he had a reason?" Merrill was really determined to defend the other. 

Garret was confused. Fenris didn't seem the type to be an asshole… just from first impressions. Yet ya never know? He  _ was  _ in top tier for his division. Fame could get to a person… 

Speaking of, Garret swallowed a touch nervously when he saw Fenris enter back into the rink, a cup in his hand. The man walked back to where Danarius was and passed the coach the drink, standing with his arms crossed. They seemed to exchange short words before Fenris turned and entered back onto the ice with a clean push off the rink barriers. 

"He just got his coach a drink. He doesn't seem  _ that  _ mean, Anders," Garret piped in, looking over to the blonde at his left. "Your sure you're not exaggerating?" 

"Shut up, Garret."

Garret chuckled lightly. He then stood, skates securely on his feet. He wanted to skate now. Merrill already seemed to get the hint and walked past them towards the rink, stepping onto the ice. Garret followed in toe, grinning once he began to glide on the slippery surface. Ice skating felt like flying… this was why he loved it. Merrill was already ahead of him, giggling gleefully as she spins and zig zags for fun. Garret was amused. She was always so energetic. 

There were a few others on the ice, either skating for fun or practicing some jumps or dance moves. Fenris was doing just plain laps around the rink. Garret noticed he was doing his best to avoid people. 

So not very social? Odd for somebody so famous in the ice skating world. 

"Come on Hawke! Bet you can't catch me~" Merrill had a playful smirk on her lips and Garret felt it hard to deny her offer. Ice tag was fun though they did have to be careful. He began to pick up the pace just as Merrill did, tracking her steps in an attempt to catch up with her. She was fast though… zipping through different skaters and being careful not to hit anyone. Garret was so focused on Merrill's speedy talent that he himself didn't seem to notice the skater in front of him slowed down a little… while  _ he  _ was still going quite fast…

_ Fuck- _

"G-Garret! Watch out!" 

Garret's attempt to slow down in mid panic was sloppy and uncalculated and instead, he launched forward when his blade hit choppy ice. He was met with wide green eyes and the wind was knocked from him as he collided with the figure. Fenris. Of course. Of  _ all  _ people he had to crash into… 

_ Please… tell me this isn't happening..- _

The fall was awkward and chaotic, a flail of arms and legs. Mostly legs. Garret had been going fast… so the impact was hard. 

" _ Ouch- _ "

Fenris had said that. Oh no- The two slid before suddenly hitting the rink wall and Garret grunted. His head was spinning though he was  _ painfully  _ aware that Fenris was  _ under  _ him… the man smelled like coffee and the cold… 

_ Just kill me now… _

When Garret's vision steadied, he grunted, locking eyes with the man below him who seemed pissed, maybe… embarrassed? No, not that. Garret couldn't read Fenris' expression until he saw something red. There was a single slash across Fenris' right hand that had blood seeping from it. Garret was frozen… did he really just…-

_ Oh god… _

Fenris was in  _ pain. _

"Fenris!" 

By now Danarius had risen from his seat and was walking over, quite calm looking for the fact that his student was bleeding from the hand. 

"You can get off of me now."

Garret nearly whimpered when Fenris spoke. That'd be pathetic. Thank god he didn't… but holy shit- he really just injured Fenris… his skate blade must've sliced the others hand while they were flailing… 

_ I'm going to be arrested. _

Okay, that was stupid. He knew he wasn't going to be arrested, but holy shit did it feel like something awful was about to happen to him.

"Ahem... Get. Off."

Fenris sounded mad now and Garret scrambled to stand, his eyes wide in horror. He was stuttering and Fenris' eyebrows were furrowed as he slowly stood as well. Everybody in the arena seemed stunned. 

"F-Fenris… I'm  _ so  _ sorry… I promise I didn't mean it. It was an accident, I-" 

"Garret!" 

Isabela slid onto the ice with her shoes- even though she wasn't allowed and she even looked bewildered. She went to stand at Garret's side, glaring at him sternly before she peered to Danarius who had joined Fenris, currently examining his hand. Merrill had also joined them… Garret was too shocked to say anything more. 

"Danarius sir, I assure you Garret didn't mean any purposeful harm. He's just a big clumsy dumbass who doesn't know how to control his limbs," Isabela said, chuckling lightly in hopes to lighten the mood… Danarius didn't say anything and was now wrapping Fenris' hand in bandage. 

"It was my fault!" Merrill exclaimed, a dreadful frown on her lips. "I encouraged him to chase me!"

Garret finally sighed and shook his head, growing overwhelmed. 

"No. It was my fault. I should've been watching where I was going… I'm  _ so, so  _ sorry Fenris… truly." He was desperate. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt someone! MUCH less the most famous figure skater here! There was a sigh and Garret hesitantly opened his eyes- which he just realized had been closed- and watched as Fenris turned. He exited off the ice. 

"It's fine." 

That was it.

Danarius didn't seem pleased with Fenris' response, as if he wanted the man to flip his shit at Garret. He was glad he didn't… Garret didn't know what to do. It  _ wasn _ 't fine, despite what Fenris had said. Though he was quite sure Fenris knew that but was just trying to get rid of the conversation. Danarius had finally went after Fenris, frankly looking quite pissed.  _ At Fenris.  _ Why? Garret wondered if he was just overreacting. He was probably mad at the whole situation. 

It hadn't been too bad of a scratch. Nothing deep. Though it looked like it could scar since it was a tissue wound. That scared Garret even more. He just  _ scarred  _ Fenris Tevinter. 

Fenris was currently untying his skates- to the best of his ability with a bandaged hand. He didn't look to be in pain anymore but he seemed the type to hide his emotions very well… Garret felt awful, as he already expressed several times now. He wanted to make it up to the man but he had quite the raging feeling Fenris would decline. The man now had a reason to completely  _ destroy  _ him in the competition tomorrow. It's not like he wouldn't anyways. 

"Is… is there any way I can make it up to you? I feel really bad. I could get you a coffee or something?"

"I don't drink coffee." 

_ … _

"N-No problem…! What about something to eat? Like uh, a cookie from starbucks or something?" 

Fenris sighed quite loudly and stood once his regular boots were on and his skates packed into a bag to his left. His cold green eyes fell on Garret and he felt ice split down his spine. 

"Hawke, correct?" Fenris mumbled, his face completely and utterly emotionless. Garret felt his body tense again and he nodded. Fenris knew his name…? Well, his last name, yet everyone seemed to call him Hawke most of the time. 

"Y-Yes…" 

"Hm. Well I appreciate the offer but I'm fine. Not hungry. Don't worry about it…" Fenris then lifted his bag over his shoulder and moved past Garret. He began to head towards the exit with Danarius. Garret frowned. Well, at least he tried. Fenris seemed too hardcore and dismissive. Garret knew it was sometimes good to just accept an offer of apology. Though Fenris didn't seem to think the same. But he did say not to worry about it… 

Fenris was gone and Garret felt very uncomfortable with the silence in the arena. He knew everyone was staring at him. 

_ Good god what did I do…  _


End file.
